Poker News

John Caldwell

SHOULD ONLINE SINS BE PUNISHED OFFLINE?

As part of a public mea culpa issued just weeks before his 18th birthday, admitted internet poker multi-account user Josh “JJProdigy” Field announced his plans to attend and play in PokerStars’ Caribbean Adventure. Not so fast, said PokerStars. In its widely distributed email response, Stars announced that it was extending the ban against Field through the PCA, and Field was not welcome. On the other side of the world, the Aussie Millions, after considering the matter, decided to let Field play, citing the fact that Field had never violated any of their terms and conditions, and therefore should be allowed to play. We haven’t heard the last of this issue yet, and internet message boards are aflame with the debate.

YOU SUNK MY BATTLESHIP!

With action in the main event of PokerStars’ Caribbean Adventure nearing conclusion, a little bit of fun ensued for players not deep in the final rounds of play. That fun was the return of the PokerStars World Championship of Battleship Poker, where players put their laptops back to back and play an online heads-up match where they can see their opponents’ cards, but not their own. The match was won by Dustin “neverwin” Woolf, who defeated Vanessa Selbst to win the $48,000 first prize. Selbst collected $25,600 for finishing second. Terrance Eischens and Sorel Mizzi both won $12,800 for making the semis, while quarterfinalists Steve Silverman, Elia Ahmadia, Matt Kay, and Mike Glasser each collected $8,000.

CAN GUS BUY A VOWEL?

Gus Hansen hopes to cement his status as one on the world’s most recognizable poker players with the launching of his ThePlayr.com poker website. Loosely evocative of Daniel Negreanu’s Full Contact Poker, ThePlayr.com will offer news, articles, a poker forum, events and competitions, an “Ask Gus” area and a complete “Gus Hansen’s Poker Academy,” where Gus “… will teach poker the way poker should be played-aggressively.” A number of the site’s features were designed with the assistance of Full Tilt, where Hansen remains under sponsorship. The site launched on Friday with a kickoff conference at the Aussie Millions.

IS SOME OF THIS THIRTEEN MILLION YOURS?

While many U.S. based poker players have long since had a fading interest in NETeller’s well-being, there are many that should pay heed to the online payment processor’s latest press release. While NETeller announced it had reimbursed $81 million to US customers affected by the company’s account freeze in early 2007, there is still approximately $13 million that has gone unclaimed. Former US account holders have only until January 26 to claim their assets using the NETeller website.

MORE ELECTRONIC TABLES COMING AS LIGHTNING POKER, INC. IS AWARDED PATENT

Pennsylvania-based Lightning Poker, Inc., one of the two largest makers of electronic poker tables for use in liveaction casinos, has been awarded a patent for one specific element of its products. The 10-seat Lightning Poker tables continue to be distributed under an agreement signed last year with leading casino-equipment supplier Shuffle Master, Inc. The automated Lightning Poker tables offer both Texas hold’em and Omaha programming options and are available for play in several casinos in the U.S. The firm also has installations in Canada, Australia, Macau, Germany, Australia, Bulgaria, Romania and Lebanon among other countries.

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